In January 2012, SAI Communications Manager Joleen Ong joined SAI's team in India to support the RAGS Project with supplier communications.

From the wool manufacturing cluster of Ludhiana in the North, to the silk producing hubs of Bangalore in the South, Joleen visited five factories (several SA8000® certified) to learn more about their operations, and elicit feedback on their efforts to maintain social compliance.

During these visits, Ms. Ong was pleased to discover several provisions for workers' welfare that also benefit the local community, such as on-site child care facilities, health clinics, reverse osmosis water filtration systems for potable water, and summer camps for workers' children. In particular, Shahi Exports - which has 29 factories in Bangalore, of which 5 are SA8000 certified, won Gold for Best Employer by the Apparel Exporters Promotion Council (APEC) of India for 2009-2010.

SAI hopes to further engage with these factories in the RAGS Project, to enhance existing social compliance programs and provide more opportunities to reach global retailers. More information about these factories will appear in forthcoming newsletters, and SAI's 2012 Annual Report.